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Keiko Fukui
Keiko Fukui (福慶子, Fukui Keiko) is a former Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and was the second-in-command of the Elite Barrier Squadron founded by Rukia Kuchiki. Appearance As someone considered intimidating by her peers, Fukui accentuates that outlook with her imposing demeanor that consists of sharp amber eyes, slightly pointed ears, strict posture, and an aura of authority wreathed strongly around her person. She has short, dark brown hair that falls to her shoulder, with a clip latched to the left to prevent the strands from falling over her eyes. Fukui has light freckles across her face, an unusual trait among Shinigami along with her dark skin, yet she doesn't pay them any mind or seem bothered by the reactions she may receive. Fukui wears the standard Shihakushō, with Shinkō strapped diagonally from her back by a thin strip of leather. Her left sleeve has the Kidō Corps insignia on it, but it has been weathered away to mere maroon streaks that are distasteful to the eyes. After many years of using Kidō, Fukui has also chosen to don leather gloves to protect herself from any burns that may arise from using too much Kidō. After returning to the Seireitei after a three year absence, Fukui has replaced the obi sash of her shihakushō with a thick leather belt with many concealed pockets, where she stores her weapons and bombs. Attached to the belt is her Clan's heirloom, an ornate, templar shortsword with red tassels. The belt is connected to the leather that straps her Zanpakutō to her back. She has also reinforced her gloves with metal platings. In addition, Fukui has grown out her hair to the point of being able to tie it up into a ponytail. From her skirmishes with the occasional thief or bandit, Fukui also has a scar running vertically down her left eyelid. Personality Fukui is largely considered to be "intimidatingly respectful," to her superior officers in particular. Though she is reluctant to admit it, Fukui is rather self-conscious about her behavior in public. This often leads to her respectful attitude and odd quirks such as precise angles to bow to Shinigami of varying ranks. She is a very conscientious, always getting work done on time (and earlier if she can) and setting up frighteningly precise color-coded schedules and files. Fukui can be blunt sometimes, to the point of being considered rude, and isn't afraid to voice her mind (as long as the subject of conversation doesn't concern her as a person). Fukui holds disdain for Shinigami that shirk their duties, and would often ridicule them or flat out treat them coldly until the work is done. This demeanor, coupled with her appearance, usually doesn't grant her a lot of friends, or the opportunity to get close to someone. Once you get to know her, however, Fukui will gradually open up and become more friendly. And perhaps she may even reveal the more girly side of her, such as her concerns over her hair and the cute dress she had seen at the mall—which is odd, considering her rather bland and constant appearance. Despite the flaws in her personality, Fukui makes up for it with her fierce and undying loyalty and trust to those she considers true friends. While it may be hard to earn, this particular trait of hers makes her invaluable. It was one of the few reasons why she was chosen as second-in-command of the Elite Barrier Squadron, handpicked by Captain-Commander Rukia Kuchiki. In the three years following the war, Fukui has somewhat loosened up. She can still be fairly blunt at times, but is now (slightly) more prone to jokes. She is still rather on the serious side, still always one to finish work on time, and never the type of person to procrastinate or partake in shenanigans. Her criticisms regarding others have been reduced to her own private thoughts. Though she will not openly show disdain or scorn to those that shirk their duties, Fukui would still hint at her dislike in a more appropriate and polite way. She still holds high respect for her superiors, and would treat them accordingly unless specifically told not to. History Born to the small Fukui Clan nestled within the forests of Mt. Koifushi, Fukui was raised in a household in which mannerisms and respect was held in high regards. It was because of these endearing traits and their brilliant trading tactics concerning the surrounding forest and wildlife was her Clan able to survive, siphoning off the riches of more prestigious, surrounding Clans. On a few occasions within the small compound, Fukui would see a few messengers. Most were Shinigami, kind enough to show her the basics of Kidō, which she quickly picked up on. She grew to love the fascinating aspects of it and once she received the blessings of her parents, Fukui went to take the entrance exam for the Shin'ō Academy. Due to her earlier exposure to reiatsu control, Fukui easily passed and was placed within the first class among the nobles and other skilled users. Though her Kidō skills were exemplary, Fukui was admittedly lacking in the other sections of the curriculum. However, she was able to easily get along with her instructor, prompting her to receive an impressive recommendation to join the Kidō Corps under the captaincy of Rukia Kuchiki. She was admitted without any difficulties and proved herself to be quite the Kidō practitioner, enough to capture the attention of the captain. The two ended up getting along quite well, and soon Fukui found herself surrounded with close friends, friends that soon joined in the creation of the Elite Barrier Squadron. Since then, she has worked closely with her peers and captain, devising complicated barriers and techniques to better improve the condition of the Soul Society. When Rukia was promoted to Captain-Commander, the Elite Barrier Squadron followed her to the First Division without complaint. Plot After the last Seraphim War, Fukui attended the funeral of the late Captain-Commander, who had given up her life protecting Xcution in order to defeat the last of the Arch-Seraphim, Averonis. Once the mourners dispersed, Fukui decided to confront the third seat of her Division, Ren Avernacus. Although she had planned to talk to Captain Hiroku Shikuga to pass on Rukia's Legacy, Fukui decided to make an exception in her plans. It didn't take much for her to convince Ren to follow her to a cherry blossom orchard, a beautiful plot of land that Fukui often visited with Rukia when the latter had been alive. There, Fukui learned that their captain had promised to pass on the secrets behind the Ten no Konpeki Raito to Ren, which was coincidentally the same spell she had been planning to teach Hiroku. With this newfound information, Fukui began to question Ren, inquiring the reasoning behind whether or not he had grown stronger during the war. Unsatisfied by his answer (or lack of), Fukui took her leave, only after informing the grieving third seat that when he could look her in the eye and speak with confidence, then she would impart the secrets behind the barrier. Fukui found Hiroku shortly after, exchanging a few pleasantries before guiding the captain to a secluded area where a single willow tree resided in an emerald sea of grass. It was in this location did she teach him the Ten no Konpeki Raito, and gave him a leather-backed book containing every detail behind said barrier; it was all she had behind Rukia's Legacy. During this time, she also admitted to the captain her plans for the future: to leave the Seireitei and Gotei 13 and return home. Home, where she was certain that she belonged. After Rukia's passing, Fukui didn't feel quite so comfortable in the Gotei 13 anymore. At Hiroku's joking insistence, Fukui also promised to keep him updated on her well-being. Once she was sure that Hiroku was rested enough to return home, Fukui returned to her room in the First Division barracks. She was briefly sidetracked by the presence of her past Lieutenant, Yoshito Tanaka, whom she exchanged a few pleasantries with before continuing on her way. It didn't take long for her to pack up her stuff and submit her resignation sheet. No sooner had she done so, Fukui departed the First barracks for what may seemed to be the final time, then made her way to the cherry blossom orchard that she had visited with Ren. By then, the third seat was gone, leaving Fukui alone with the cherry blossoms. There, she attempted to limit her own strength by imposing the Forbidden Kidō, Fūin, a spell that she had picked up from her deceased captain and friend. However, the spell only partially worked; it only conflicted with her reiryoku control. Satisfied by her partial success, Fukui took one last look at the Seireitei before finally taking her leave. Throughout the course of the next three years, Fukui helped her Clan's business thrive. Whenever a bandit or thief showed up, she was always the first to volunteer in tracking and eliminating the threat. While she may be restricted in Kidō, Fukui proved herself to be a valuable warrior and healer to her Clan. However, she soon noticed something was amiss in the Rukongai: kidnappings, murders, as well as an ominous, nearly tangible sense of malice laced under the covers of night. Although kidnappings and murders were fairly common in the Rukongai, Fukui couldn't help but feel the nagging sense to investigate the cases. Over the course of a few months, Fukui managed to map out a timeline of the kidnappings and murders, most of which she helped to unravel along with the other civilians and the occasional, passing Shinigami. There wasn't any pattern in particular, as far as she was aware, though there was an increased number of oddities in the lower Rukon districts. The ones that were kidnapped almost never returned, yet in the few instances that they did, Fukui took the chance to interrogate them. It was always the same results; every victim was disorientated, with no recollection on how or when they have been kidnapped. The only trait that linked all the victims was that they all contained an above-average level of reiryoku, but none of which would be sufficient to pass the entrance exam to enter the Shin'ō Academy. The next two years passed in the same manner; more kidnappings and murders that Fukui went out to investigate. As a former Shinigami who also took an avid role in helping the families of the victims and respective cases, Fukui quickly became well known in the Hokutan district of West Rukongai. Try as she might, however, Fukui had no success in the newer findings. It was always the same; little to no leads on victims, and the ones that were found had no information. Several times, Fukui would find a corpse, though there was nothing special about them aside from a vestige of their own reiryoku. On the third year, terror struck the Fukui Clan. On a summer night, Fukui was rudely awoken by the sound of her sister, Hairi, screaming. Grabbing only her Zanpakutō, Shinkō, Fukui bolted out of bed just in time to see a cloaked figure pulling Hairi through a hole in the wall. Fukui barely reached her younger sister in time, grabbing ahold of her ankle to keep both her and the intruder in place. Before she could slash at the intruder with the opposite hand, however, Fukui was struck across the eye with a hidden dagger. At the same moment, she released a weak Byakurai, just enough to free Hairi. Instead of retaliating, the cloaked figure simply disappeared, as though it never existed. Word of the attack on the Fukui Clan spread like wildfire among the Hokutan civilians. It didn't take long for Fukui to realize that the cloaked figure had probably mistaken Hairi for her, due to their similarities. Once she reached this realization, Fukui began to train feverishly, doing whatever she could to reverse the effects of Fūin, and thereby relieve her ability to use Kidō to the max. Try as she might, her condition worsened to the point that even the most meager of spells became unpredictable. To compensate for her short-falling, Fukui applied her extensive knowledge on Kidō to create Kidō Tags to be used in combat. Along with this, Fukui strove to improve her Zanjutsu and Hohō—anything to help her protect her family from the threats that lurk the Rukongai. Unfortunately, due to the incident connected to the Fukui Clan, their clients shied away, causing their wealth to decline. Around the same time, Fukui started to sense familiar reiatsu during night, albeit darker and much colder than she had remembered. Nights seemed to stretch out longer every time the familiar reiatsu sparked up, and try as she might, Fukui could never seem to place a name to the reiatsu signatures. After a week of this nonsense, Fukui decided to investigate. Over the span of four months, Fukui went out to investigate the location of the reiatsu signatures, only to be met with nothing. Some areas she went to were odd, such as random streets and districts in the Rukongai. Others were repetitious and rather peculiar, such as the forests of Mt. Koifushi and the rooftop of an elderly lady's home. With no other leads, deprived of information, and the ever decline of her Clan's status, Fukui finally decided on a course of action: to return to the Gotei 13 as a proper Shinigami. Powers and Abilities Adept Swordsman: Fukui is decent in Zanjutsu, but is often time at a disadvantage due to her Shikai taking on an unorthodox form. However, she can hold her own in battle, though she prefers to go into Shikai as soon as possible. Kaidō Practitioner: With an impressive grasp on reishi control and usage, Fukui has proven to be quite adept at using Kaidō. Her skills are great enough to earn her a seated position within the Fourth, yet her lack of practice and interest has deterred her from trying. Kidō Expert: After her partial success with the Forbidden Kidō, Fūin, Fukui's control over her reiatsu weakened, reducing her once extolled Kidō mastery to be on par with that of an unseated officer's. While she is no longer as powerful as she once was in this craft, her knowledge on Kidō far exceeds the average seated officer. It was great enough for her to be one of the six members of the Kidō Corps to be singled out to form the Elite Barrier Squadron. As of now, Fukui's capability with Kidō is very pitiful; she can only use the simplest of spells, and even those are likely to rebound. However, she has compensated this predicament with Kidō Tags, a creation of hers that allows one to use Kidō through the use of reishi-infused paper tags. Hakuda Combatant: While not her most proficient field, Fukui is decent enough to utilize it in battle. She prefers not to, however, due to being more of a ranged combatant. Shunpō: Fukui is skilled enough to utilize Shunpō, in and out of battle. It is especially helpful in dodging barrages of Kidō, which is known to be erratic and devastating at times. Her evasive skills have been drilled into her by Rukia, though even that and her speed have dulled after the effects of Fūin and her lack of practice. Zanpakutō Shinkou.png|Shinkō (Shikai) Shinkou2.jpg ShinkouSpirit.jpg|Shinkō's True Form ShinkouSpirit2.png While Shinkō takes the form of tiny, winged balls of light, she is actually more owl-like within her inner world. Swirls of flickering gold reishi pulsates throughout her expansive wings, the only color upon her besides the starkness of her body. Nestled in her talons is a ball of light that radiates warmth, yet Fukui isn't allowed to touch it. Shinkō is serene and rarely loses her tempers. She speaks in riddles and is more often inclined to keep her secrets, subsequently leaving Fukui in the dark about many subjects. She only speaks when she needs to, and would say nothing more or nothing less. Inner World A small spring takes up most of Fukui's inner world, with small pathways branching away from it. However, these pathways are locked and overgrown, enveloped in mysteries that refuse to give in their secrets. Lush trees hem in the spring, yet sunlight still filters through the pale leaves to dapple the land below. Tiny minnows can be seen darting around the clear waters, seeming to shimmer from the playful waves that elegantly capture the sun's golden rays. The spring is practically "glowing" all year around. The surrounding forests is peaceful, with only the fairy manifestations of Shinkō and the occasional Fukui as its inhabitants. The spring is fed by a series of gradually wider waterfalls. Given that, the soft burble of water cascading over rocks is there year round. Shinkō rests at the topmost waterfall, though she is often elsewhere in the forest beyond the spring, yet her presence can be sensed all around. And sometimes, if Fukui listens closely, she could hear a soft, entrancing melody wafting through the forest, richly intertwined with birdsong. Yet no matter how thoroughly she searches the forest and springs, she can never seem to find the source behind the melody. Shikai: Shinkō Upon release, Shinkō is enveloped in white reishi that disintegrates into wispy specks, which materializes into 10 balls of light. Thin veins of reishi then erupt from the balls, knitting together to form iridescent wings. Fukui commonly refers to these odd balls of lights as faeries, though they look nothing like their fictional counterparts. Outside of battle, they can be used to send messages, much like Hell Butterflies. Release command: Seishin kiyomeru (精神清める, Purify the Soul) Seigetsu Reiki (霽月霊気, Shining Aura) Tenmei Suisei (天命彗星, Heaven's Comet) Bankai: Saigo no Shukutō (最後の祝祷, Final Benediction) Locked Tenbatsu (天罰, Divine Punishment) Equipment * Fukui Clan's Heirloom * Kidō Tags (Shakkahō) (10) * Kidō Tags Geki (5) * Kidō Tags Raiden (3) * Kidō Tags Saikin (2) * Kunai (8) Statistics Theme Main Alternate Trivia * 福慶子 can be roughly translated to "talented child of good fortunes." * Fukui's picture is a fan art of Ymir from Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan). Quotes * (To Rukia Kuchiki) "Understood, Kuchiki-sōtaichō." * (To Hiroku Shikuga) "After all, the best place to go to when you're lost is to return to your origins... But perhaps I may come back someday." * (To Chiyo Kuchiki) "You know why." * (To Shinkō) "Find Shikuga-taichō of the Thirteenth Division, Shinkō. Tell him that I am doing well, and that I will be returning as a Shinigami of the Gotei 13." * (To Hairi Fukui) "I'm leaving, Imōto-chan." * (To Hairi Fukui) "I promise." * (To Chiyo Kuchiki) "soon" * (To herself) "soon" Category:Shinigami Category:Seireitei